(WNY News Now) – Erie County, NY – An Ohio truck driver has been sentenced to 3 ½ years in prison after firing multiple gunshots at another vehicle while driving on Interstate 90, Erie County District Attorney Michael J. Keane announced.
Dylan J. Cottingham, 26, of Sullivan, Ohio, was sentenced Monday before Erie County Court Judge Kenneth Case. His sentence includes 2 ½ years of post-release supervision.
The incident occurred on July 29, 2024, around 7:30 a.m. Cottingham, driving a tractor-trailer westbound on I-90 in the Town of Newstead, brandished a handgun and fired multiple rounds at an occupied pickup truck. The victim’s vehicle was struck, but the driver and two passengers were unharmed.
New York State Police later located Cottingham and recovered a loaded pistol. Although he had a licensed permit in Ohio, he was not legally allowed to carry the firearm in New York. He was arraigned in Newstead Town Court the same day.
Cottingham pleaded guilty to Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree, a Class C violent felony, and Reckless Endangerment in the First Degree, a Class D felony, on December 13, 2024. His plea satisfied the full indictment.
DA Keane commended the New York State Police and Tina Pilkey, Chief of the District Attorney’s Office Victim/Witness Services Bureau, for their efforts. Assistant District Attorney Ryan M. Flaherty of the Major Crimes Bureau prosecuted the case.
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